David Moyes can't have imagined he would have been proven so spectacularly correct when he said before this tie that Everton were naive in Europe.

They had done the hard part last night as they virtually strangled the life out of an accomplished Fiorentina team.

More wily campaigners would have run down the clock and taken a clean sheet to Goodison next week, but the inexperience of Everton was exposed when the Italians nicked a goal from nothing and then watched their opponents disintegrate before them.

Even a one-goal deficit wouldn't have been too bad but the Merseysiders lost their heads and chased the game.

Inevitably, Fiorentina punished such naivety with a crucial second goal nine minutes from time, leaving Everton with a huge task to reach the quarter finals, especially given the fact they have never overturned a first leg deficit in Europe.

It was needless, almost criminal, after 70 minutes of largely composed defending that rather belied their manager's assessment of them.

Moyes said: "The better team won. We have a big job, now, a really big job to get through - they are a very good team.

"Both goals could have been avoided, the first one was really disappointing because it gave them the initiative.

"They scored two goals in the last 20 minutes and we have to think we can do the same. We have to learn from this experience."

It could have been so different. Everton had survived some tense moments, not least when Tim Howard was forced to make a fine double save midway through the second half. He plunged to deny Christian Vieri and then did the same to Zdravko Kuzmanovic.

But not for nothing are Fiorentina battling at the top end of Serie A this season.

It was a stroke of fortune that gave them the lead.

There seemed little danger but a wicked deflection allowed the ball to fall to Kuzmanovic who curled a right foot shot into the corner.

As Moyes brought on Andy Johnson to form a twopronged attack with Yakubu they left ridiculously big gaps that the Tuscan side exploited. The killer second goal came on 81 minutes with a wonderfully crafted move.

Jagielka headed a clearance when he might have let it for Howard, and that gave the Italians a throw. Martin Jorgensen produced a sublime moment of skill to give Riccardo Montolivo a shooting chance from just inside the box and he took it brilliantly.

That was tough particularly on Howard who produced a series of impressive saves.

Late in the first half though, Vieri produced a fine shot with virtually no back lift, but Howard saved brilliantly with his feet.